Would you act like that at home? You can throw your clothes on the floor, but at least re-use the towels. Learn how to be a green guest in a hotel.

One of the luxurious things about staying in a hotel is that you can leave your towels on the floor and your bed unmade and come back at the end of the day to fresh linens and smooth sheets – not to mention fresh toiletry bottles. However, hotels waste a lot of water and energy washing linens, and they generate mountains of barely used toiletry containers. Here’s how you can be a green guest next time you stay at a hotel.

Re-use the Linens

The housekeeping staff at most hotels changes your sheets and replenishes your towels on a daily basis. While there’s no arguing that it feels amazing to wrap yourself in a fluffy, clean towel or slip between fresh smelling sheets, it’s really not necessary when you’re only staying somewhere a few days. Imagine all of the energy and water necessary to clean those linens every day, for every room.

Many hotels provide a card you can sit out for the housekeeping announcing you’d like to save the planet by re-using your linens. If not, leave a note of your own or alert the front desk that you don’t need new sheets or towels.

Turn the Lights Off

Since you aren’t paying the electric bill, you may not think twice about leaving all the lights, the TV, and the air-conditioner on when you leave your room for the day. Even if you feel these amenities are included in the price of the room, they still waste energy if you aren’t there to enjoy them and ultimately have a negative impact the environment. Hopefully you are already in the habit of taking these energy-conserving measures at home.

Green Guests Take the Freebie Bottles Home

Higher end hotels provide the best free bottles of shampoos, scented soaps, and lotions. Even budget hotels usually offer these toiletries so you can pack lighter and avoid those pesky checked baggage fees and liquid carry-on restrictions. So feel free to use and enjoy the toiletries, but don’t just use them once and throw them away. The housekeeping staff will likely replenish your stash on a daily basis, and they certainly won’t leave half-empty bottles for future guests.

Take the leftovers home with you. Many people do this anyway because it feels like you’re getting away with something or at least getting a free gift, but you’re actually being a green guest by doing so. Use these bottles at home when you run out of your own shampoo, take them on overnight trips to places that don’t provide these amenities, or donate them to your local homeless shelter. Be sure to recycle the empty bottles, too.

Do Not Disturb

If you are only staying at a hotel for a couple of days, give housekeeping a break by simply placing the “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door. You already have everything you need to survive; there’s no need for new linens or toiletries, and a little privacy is pretty nice.